Sri Lanka were off to a disastrous start to the Test series against Australia as the hosts were bundled out for a paltry 117-run total on the opening day of the first Test in Kandy. After electing to bat first, the Angelo Mathews-led unit offered very little resistance and failed to get their act right with the bat.

Credit to Australia as the visitors stuck to disciplined lines and made most of the morning freshness on offer. Josh Hazlewood (3/21) made early inroads with the new ball and Mitchell Starc, making a return after long injury lay-off, sustained pressure from the other end.

After the seamers show, it was spinners who did the clean-up job as Nathan Lyon picked three wickets in seven balls after Lunch to put hosts on the mat. It wasn’t an alarmingly turning surface but the visitors made most of the little turn on offer. Sri Lanka were guilty of some poor shot selections and a very shaky approach to their innings.

In reply, Australia too weren’t off to an ideal start as both David Warner and Joe Burns were dismissed cheaply. Arrival of Steve Smith however restored order as the skipper, along with Usman Khawaja, commenced the repair job before rain washed out remainder of the day, and forced early stumps! Australia remained on their Tea total of 66/2

1154 hrs IST: Kusal Perera, the new man in, showing some intent in the last over before lunch. The left-hander creams Hazlewood for a couple of boundaries

1153 hrs IST: GONE! Hazlewood gets some late movement and Chandimal edges it behind to Nevill. The keeper takes it by moving slightly to his right and Sri Lanka are 68/5

1139 hrs IST: De Silva gets into a good position for the Hazlewood bouncer and pulls it away in controlled fashion for another boundary. It’s a breezy little start to the youngster’s Test career

1137 hrs IST: Chandimal and De Silva resist for Sri Lanka after the hosts got off to a woeful start in the morning session. Batting hasn’t been easy so far as the visitors continue to test with disciplined lines

1120 hrs IST: De Silva is looking to attack O’Keefe. Positive cricket by the debutant

1116 hrs IST: FIFTY up for Sri Lanka. It has been a struggle for the hosts so far. They are on the mat early in the Test and need a big stand to turn the tables

1114 hrs IST: De Silva is off the mark in Test cricket with a straight six off O’Keefe. Gets to the pitch of the ball and completes the stroke with a fluent follow-through

1107 hrs IST: Dhananjaya de Silva, on Test debut, is out to face the music, very early in the innings. Tough ask for the right-hander

1104 hrs IST: Steve Smith continues to attack with O’Keefe as he keeps three men close to the bat

1103 hrs IST: Chandimal collects 10 from the Starc over. The seamer ends the over well – with a steep bouncer and follows it up with a word or two!

1051 hrs IST: Sri Lanka struggle against both seam and spin as O’Keefe gets good purchase, from the hard new ball and the fresh wicket. Testing times for Mathews and Chandimal as Australia continue to press for wickets

1042 hrs IST: Angelo Mathews is the new man in and the most experienced Sri Lanka pair of the skipper and Chandimal have work to do now

1037 hrs IST: Early spin! O’Keefe into the attack. This is going to be the flavour of the series – spin, spin and more spin. Did we say spin?

1030 hrs IST: GONE! Josh Hazlewood now traps Kusal Mendis in front and Sri Lanka are 15/2. They consider reviewing but then change their mind. Mendis tried to play it on to the leg side but missed completely. Replay suggests it was hitting middle stump. No confusion about that early.

1026 hrs IST: FOUR! Mendis flicks it away and it goes slowly to Hazlewood at fine leg. Wait. It creeps underneath the big-man and over the advertising hoardings. Steve Smith with a rather dejected huff

1024 hrs IST: First boundary of the innings courtesy Kusal Mendis. Goes on to the back foot and cuts Mitchell Starc ever so fine to send the ball racing to the ropes.

1018 hrs IST: GONE! Mitchell Starc returns to cricket and has Karunaratne trapped leg-before. But review taken. Contact is on the knee roll, no bat and looks like it would hit middle or leg stump. Pitches in-line and yes it is hitting the leg stump. Decision stands. Sri Lanka are 6/1 with Karunaratne going back for 5.

1005 hrs IST: Karunaratne and Silva are in the middle then. Mitchell Starc goes for three runs in the first over. Josh Hazlewood from the other end to open proceedings.

Steve Smith took the unusual move of naming his starting XI a day before the start of the first Test in Pallekele. (Source: AP)

Australian captain Steve Smith named spin twins Nathan Lyon and Steve O’Keefe in his line-up Monday for the series opener against Sri Lanka as the newly-crowned kings of Test cricket look to cement their supremacy.

Muttiah Muralitharan was called for throwing the ball illegally during his first tour to Australia in 1995 and in 1999. (Source: File)

Bowling great Muttiah Muralitharan has been attacked by Sri Lanka’s cricket board chief for helping to coach the visiting Australian team. The Sri Lankan is a bowling consultant to Australia, ahead of the first Test starting Tuesday in Pallekele.Thilanga Sumathipala said Muralitharan, who retired with a record 800 test wickets, had let down his fans by agreeing to help a country that he said had accused the bowler of cheating.